Dozens of University of Colorado at Boulder students plan to protest the school’s ban on concealed weapons today by wearing empty holsters to class.

The day-long protest – organized by a third-year law student on Facebook.com – is a silent reminder about how defenseless students are on campus, even those allowed by law to carry a concealed weapon, organizer Jim Manley said.

Though Manley said he has never felt unsafe on the Boulder campus, he thinks mass shootings, like the one at Virginia Tech in April, are alarming in places where concealed weapons are prohibited.

“I’m a citizen who scratches his head and asks, ‘Why are we disarming citizens?”‘ said Manley, who does not hold a concealed-weapons permit.

Because Manley organized online, he said he doesn’t know how many will participate, but officials said it could be 30 to 50.

CU-Boulder officials say they have no problem with the protest because Manley went through proper channels.

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